College of Medicine College of Medicine

News/Events/Seminars
50th Anniversary Celebration
Faculty
History
Pharmacology Graduate Program
Interdisciplinary Toxicology Graduate Program
Available Courses
Postdoctoral Training
SURF Program
Meet Our Students
Contact Us
Faculty Positions
UAMS College of Medicine
UAMS Graduate School
UAMS Home
Department Homepage

Update Alumni



Paul L. Prather, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Paul L. Prather, Ph.D.
PHD
University of Georgia, 1988

Research Interests
One of my research interests involve understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the addictive states produced by drugs of abuse. As an initial step in this direction, I am investigating the cellular and/or molecular mechanisms of signal transduction mediated by G-protein coupled receptors with which drugs of abuse interact. In particular, I am interested in studying drugs of abuse that signal through opioid (μ-, δ- and κ-) and cannabinoid (CB1 and CB2) receptors. A second, more recent, area of my research involves the identification of novel therapeutic treatments for the devastating, neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Specifically, I am examining the role of CB2 cannabinoid receptors as a novel therapeutic target for ALS treatment.

E-mail
PratherPaulL@uams.edu


Selected Publications

Seely, K.A., Levi, M.A. and Prather, P.L., The dietary polyphenols trans-resveratrol and curcumin selectively bind human CB1 cannabinoid receptors with nanomolar affinities and function as antagonists/inverse agonists., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 330(1):31-39, 2009.

Mazur, A., Lichti, C.F., Prather, P.L., Zielinska, A.K., Bratton, S.M., Gallus-Zawada, A., Finel, M., Miller, G.P. and Radominska-Pandya, A. and Moran, J.H., Characterization of human hepatic and extrahepatic UDP-glucuronosyltransferase enzymes involved in the metabolism of classic cannabinoids., Drug Metab. Disposition, 37(7):1496-1504, 2009.

Shoemaker, J.L., Seely, K.A., Reed, R.L., Crow, J.P. and Prather, P.L., The CB2 cannabinoid agonist AM-1241 prolongs survival in a transgenic mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis when initiated at symptom onset., J. Neurochem., 101:87-98, 2007.

Shoemaker, J.L., Ruckle, M.B., Mayeux, P.R. and Prather, P.L., Agonist-directed trafficking of response by endocannabinoids acting at CB2 receptors., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 315:828-838, 2005.

Shoemaker, J.L., Joseph, B.K., Ruckle, M.B., Mayeux, P.R. and Prather, P.L., The endocannabinoid noladin ether acts as a full agonist at human CB2 cannabinoid receptors., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 314:868-875, 2005.

Liu, J.G. and Prather, P.L., Chronic agonist treatment converts antagonists into inverse agonists at δ-opioid receptors., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 303:1070-1079, 2002.

View Dr. Prather's PubMed publication list.


University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

4301 West Markham Street, Slot 611
Little Rock, AR 72205
(501) 686-5510
Contact: Webmaster.